Foam Recycling Resources

Recycling Case Studies: Home & Business

Due to the great demand for foam recycling, Alpine Waste & Recycling in Denver, Colorado have purchased a foam densifer. The new equipment will make a great addition to their single stream capabilities and makes them the first company in Colorado to recycle polystyrene foam products. Since adding this new feature, Alpine says it has more than doubled its ability to process single-stream recycled materials. They are now the highest-capacity recycling processor in a contiguous 10-state region.

Shopping for recyclable and recycled products can be a headache for consumers and businesses alike. Recology CleanScapes is looking to change that. The store recently opened in Bothell, WA and offers their customers a completely green line of products. In addition to offering up-cycled, recycled and re-purposed products, Recology CleanScapes also offers recycling drop off for products like polystyrene foam, electronics and metal.

With a rapidly growing market, the uses for recycled polystyrene continue to grow. Companies are using it for things like picture frames, surfboards and gardening supplies. Now, one company in Portland, Oregon is building homes FROM foam.

One of the common questions people have about polystyrene foam recycling is “How do you transport the foam effectively?”

Since polystyrene foam is 90% air, it is too light to transport without compressing it into a more manageable size. Mil-tek in the United Kingdom has solved this efficiency problem by using presses and balers to crush the foam into smaller more efficient sizes. With their machinery they are able to reduce the volume of foam products by 95%!